Argentinian Santiago Montiel won the 2025 Puskás Award for his exceptional goal scored with a bicycle kick from outside the penalty area during his team Independiente's match against Independiente Rivadavia in the Argentine Professional League on May 11, 2025.

He was announced as the winner of the prestigious award today, Tuesday, December 16, 2025, during the annual "The Best" awards ceremony organized by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

The final shortlist for the Puskás Award saw intense competition, with Montiel outperforming prominent rivals: Spaniard Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Englishman Declan Rice of Arsenal. The extended list previously announced by FIFA also included goals from other stars such as Egyptian Amr Nasser, former player of Pharco, and Argentine Pedro de la Vega of Seattle Sounders.

This award honors the most beautiful goal in the world of football during the year, with the winner determined by a vote from the public and a panel of FIFA experts. Montiel's goal, scored from about 25 yards out, received widespread acclaim and was described as world-class from the moment it was scored, making him a strong contender for this prestigious award, which has previously been won by top players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović.